Antitension fabric-measuring machine



Aug. 17 1926.

J. L. WHEELER ANTITENSION FABRIC umsmune moans Filed Feb. 27, 1922 4 Sheets-She; 1

Aug. 11, 192 1,596,565

J. L. WHEELER ANTITENSION FABRIC MEASURING MACBINE Filed Feb. 27,1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 g I In veni'or':

' fohn LII/healer.

Aug. 17 1926.

J. L. WHEELER ANT ITBNSI ON FABRIC MEASURING MACHINE Filed Feb. 27, 1922 4 sheets-Sheet 5 [n veni'or': John L. Wheeler.

- I "J, II...'WHEELER ANTITENSIIONJEXBRIC umsunme MACHINE "Filed Feb. 27, 1922 4 Sheds-sheaf 4 69 w w 5. m .5 x v.

fliga.

Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE.

JOHN L. WHEELER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE MEASUREGRAPH COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OLE DELAWARE.

ANTITENSION FABRIC-LIEASURING MACHINE.

Application filed February 27, 1922. Serial No. 539,801,

This invention relates to fabric measuring machines of the type in which indicating mechanism is advanced automatically by pulling the fabric to be measured through the machine. Machines of this type are comparatively accurate where the fabric is not stretched by the force or tension of the pull which draws it through the machine; but they have been found to be very inaccurate where such an extension of the fabric takes place.

The general object of the present inven tion is to provide simple means for overcoming this difficulty, and to provide a simple machine which will operate upon extensible or loose woven fabric so as to produce a substantially. accurate measurement of the fabric that has passed through the machine. More specifically, my object has been to provide such a machine with a device through which the fabric passes, and

which is actuated by the pull of the fabric,

and to combine with the same a measuring device which is not driven by the fabric at the point where the fabric is passing through it, but which is driven by the firstnamed device, and, therefore, operates upon In this stretched or subjected to tension.

way, an accurate or correct indication 0 the instrument results.

Further objects of the invention will pear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel features, and in the general combination of parts to be particularly described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce a simple and efficient anti-tension fabric measuring machine. ,A preferred embodiment of my invention-will be particularly described in the following specification, while the broad scope of my invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan of the machine embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of my machine with the casing removed;

Figure 3 is a vertical. section through the machine taken about on the line 33 of Figure 5;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the machine taken about on the line 4: 4 at Figures and 6;

generally by the numeral 10 Fig. 7.

Figure 5 is a plan of the machinewith the casing removed; Figure 6 is an elevation showlng the opposite side of the machine from that 1 of any suitable construction carrying lengthindicating means including a dial 2 for measuring yards and fractions thereof, and co-operatmg with a slow moving pomter 8 which indicates the yards and a fast moving pointer 4 which indicates yard fractions or inches. The capacity of the machines illustrated is twelve yards. machines usually include cost computing mechanism which in the present instance consists in a reverse-winding web 5 (see the fabric at a point where it is not :Figure 9) which has a chart composed of fabric to be measured is pulled through the machine, the web 5 is wound onto take-up roller 6 and passes off of a supply roller or tension roller 7. The web is wound in a reverse direction on the roller 6 so that the figures on both sides of the web are displayed atthe windows 8 in the upper side of the casing. These windowsare provided with scales 9 which align with the computed figures and indicate the charge to be made for the measured amount indicated by the dial 2. The shaft of the take-up roller 6 is driven through a gear train designated One of the gears of this gear train carries a rigid arbor 11, the outer end of which carries a bevel gear 12 (see Fig. 3) which meshes with and drives a bevel gear 13 on tubular shaft 14 carrying the fast moving pointer 4. Through a suitable reduction gear 15, this shaft 14: drives the slow moving pointer 3. This type of reduction gear is fully illustrated in my copending application Ser. No. 425,646, filed November 22, 1920.

shall now the which I These or co-0perating rollers.

prefer to provide for insuring correct measurements when made by means of such a machine. On the vertical frame plate 16 of the machine (see Figs. 6 and 9) I support a tension device 17, the same comprising a driving roller 18 with a cocperatingpresser roller 19 which operates to press the fabric against the face ofthe driving roller when the same is pulled through the machine. The direction of pull is that mdicated'by the arrow in Figure 9. I- also provide a measuring device including a measuring roller which is rotated or actuated by the driving roller 18 and I locate the tension device 17 so that it is beyond the measuring device or measuring roller with respect to the direction in which the fabric moves. In order to accomplish this I pro vide a measuring roller 20 (see Figure 9) the shaft 21 of which is also supported on the frame plate 16 and this roller is provided with a co-operating presser roller 22 which may be similar to the presser roller 19. The shaft 21 of the measuring roller is connected by a pinion 23 and an idler 24 with the gear train 10 (see Figure 7). This gear train includes a gear 25 meshing with pinion 24 and having a rigid pinion 26 which meshes with a large gear 27. This gear 27 carries the aforesaid arbor 11. The gear 27 also operates to drive the shaft of the take-up roller 6, for which purpose it is provided with a rigid gear wheel 28 meshing with an idler 29 which in turn meshes with a pinion 30 attached to the shaft of the take-up roller 6. I also provide means for driving the measuring roller 20 from the driving roller 18. For this purpose the shafts of these two rollers are connected by gearing which may consist merely of a large idle gear 31 meshing with a pinion 32 rigid with the roller 18 and a pinion 33 of the same diameter carried on the shaft 21. The presser rollers 19 and 22 are pressed by resilient means such as a spring which presses them toward or against their corresponding, I prefer to mount the presser rollers 19 and 22 on a flexible frame 34 (see Figure 9) which comprises bell crank levers 35 and 36, the vertical arms of which are connected by a link 37. A coil spring 38 attached to the frame 39 of the machine, pulls the flexible frame 3-3: in a direction to hold the presser rollers down or against the faces of the large rollers with which they co-operate. The rollers 18 and 20 are so related to each other that when fabric is pulled through the machine in the direction of the arrows in Figures 7 and 9, the fabric will operate to rotate the roller 18, but the fabric will not pass this roller as fast as the fabric is fed from the measuring roller toward the driving roller. In other words, the roller 18 does the driving and the roller 20 does the measuring. In practice a yard. In the operation of the machine a slight excess of fabric accumulates between the two rollers 20 and 18 as the measuring movement progresses.

Machines of this type are provided with nnirliing means for marking the measured lengtli at the point where it is to be cut off. This means merely consists of a marking lever or knife lever 40 (see Figure carrying a bla le 41 which co-operates with a fixed blade 4.2, to make a slight cut or in- 5 cisicn in the edge of the fabric.

I provide suitable means for enabling the operation of the knife lever 40 to raise the presser rollers 19 and 22 from their (to-op rating rollers. For this purpose it is merely necessary to provide the rock shaft 43 of the bell crank with an arm 44 (see Fig. 9) which projects out into the path of movement of the lever 40. As the lever descends an edge 45 on the lever (see Figure 2) will engage this arm L4 and depress it thereby raising the presser rollers. I also provide a latch 4-6 for holding the presser rollers raised. This latch is pivoted at 4:7 on a horizontal. frame plate 48, (see Figures 2 and 9) and presents a shoulder which Will engage over the upper edge of the lever. A. coil spring attached to the latch pulls it in a direction to enable it to snap over the arm (see Figure 4). The latch is pro vided with a thumb plate 51 which is accessible from the exterior of the machine and which enables the latch to be released at the will of the operator. The lever 40 is provided with thumb-plate '52 which is also exposed on the outside of the machine and which enables the notching lever or marking lever to to bee aerated at will.

In operating the mac line, the salesman simply pulls the fabric through the machine in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figures 7 and 9. The pull of the fabric produces rotation of the driving roll-er 18 and through the pinion 32 idler 31 and pinion it imparts a rotating mot the measuring roller 20. The roller 20 'co-operating with its reset; 22 draws the fabric past it and toward the driving roller 18. The measuring ro l'ler will advance the fabric faster than the driving roller 18 can take it up, and hence the tension or pull on the fabric stops the driving roller 18 and the fabric at the point where it is measured on the face of the measuring roller is not under any tension whatever. Hence, the indicating mechanism which advances as far as determined by the measuring roller, gives an accurate indication of the measurement made by the machine.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only one of the many embodiments my invention may take, and I do not wish to be limited in the practice of my invention nor in my claims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

That I claim is: v

1. In a fabric measuring machine, the combination of a tensiondevice including a driving-roller over which the cloth is pulled, a measuring roller and co-operating presser roller between which the fabric passes in advance of the driving 'roller, means for so driving the measuring roller from the driving-roller, as to draw the fabric over the measuring roller at such a rate that the same is devoid of substantial tension, and length-indicating means cooperating with the measuring roller, to indicate the length of the fabric which has moved past the measuring roller.

.2. In a fabric measuring machine, the combination of a measuring-roller, a presserroller co-operating therewith to hold the fabric against the measuring-roller? when the same moves between the measuringroller and presser-roller, a tension device located beyond the measuring-roller with respect to thedirection of advance of the fabric, said tension device including a driving-roller actuated by pulling the cloth through the tension-device, means for driving the measuring roller from the drivingroller at such a rate as to prevent substantial tension on the fabric between the driving and measuring rollers, and length-indicating mechanism driven in unison with the measuring roller.

3. In a fabric measuring machine, the combination of a tension-device including a driving-roller over which the fabric is pulled, a measuring-roller of predetermined diameter located in advance of the driving roller with respect to the direction of movement of the fabric, and a presser roller cooperating therewith, said driving roller being of smaller diameter than the measuring roller, means for driving the measuring roller from the driving roller to rotate the former and thereby pull the fabric between the measuring roller and its presser roller while the same is devoid of tension, and length-indicating means driven in synchrony with the measuring roller to indicate the length of the fabric which has moved past the measuring roller.

4. In a fabric measuring machine, the combination of a tension-device including a driving roller over which the fabric is pulled, a measuring roller of predetermined diameter located in advance of the driving roller with respect to the direction of movement of the fabric, and a presser roller cooperating therewith, gearing for rotating the measuring roller by the driving roller,

said driving-roller being of smaller diameter than the measuring-roller to prevent the same fromtalzing up the fabric as rapidly as the fabric is advanced to it by the measuring roller, and lei'igth-indicating means driven in synchrony with the measuring-roller for indicating the length of the fabric which vhas moved past the measuring roller.

5. In a fabric measuring machine, the combination of a tension device including a driving-roller mounted so as to be rotated by the cloth when pulled past the same, a measuring-roller of predetermined diameter over which the fabric passes in advance of the driving roller, means for driving the measuring roller from the driving. roller, said rollers being so related that the measuringroller takes up the fabric faster than the driving roller permits the fabric to pass it, thereby preventing any tension in the fabric from being exerted as the same passes the measuring roller, and length indicating means driven in synchrony with the measuring roller for indicating the length of the fabric which has moved past the measuring roller.

6. In a fabric measuring machine, the combination of a driving-roller and its co operating presser-roller, a measuring-roller and its co-operating presser-roller located in advance of the driving roller, means for driving the measuring-roller from the driving-roller when the fabric is pulled through the machine, at such a rate of speed} as to enable the measuring-roller and its presserroller to draw the fabric past the measuring-roller while the same is devoid of tension, and length-indicating means driven in synchrony with the measuring-roller to indicate the length of the fabric which has moved past the measuring-roller.

7. In a fabric measuring machine, the combination of a driving-roller with its cooperating presser roller, a measuring-roller with its co-operating presser-roller, located in advance of the driving roller, means connecting the presser rollers to enable the same to rotate in unison, resilient means for pressing the presser rollers toward their corresponding rollers, said measuring-roller being of predetermined diameter, gearing connecting the driving-roller with themeasun ing-roller to drive the latter, and thereby enable the measuring-roller and its presserroller to draw the fabric between them, said driving-roller being of slightly smaller diameter than the measuring-roller whereby the measuring-roller advances the fabric to the driving roller faster than the driving roller takes it up, thereby preventing any tension from the pull on the fabric in pulling the same through the machine, from being exerted in the fabric where it passes the measuring-roller.

8. In a fabric measuring machine, the

combination of a driving-roller, a measuring-roller located in advance thereof, a presser-roller frame, a pair of presser-rollers carried thereby and co-operating respectively with the driving-roller and the measuring-roller, resilient means for holding the resser-roller frame with the presser-rollers held against their co-operating rollers, means for driving the measuring-roller from the driving-roller when the fabric is pulled through the machine, said driving-roller being of slightly smaller diameter than the measuring-roller, whereby the measuringroller co-operates with its resser-roller to draw the fabric forward and advance the same toward the driving-roller faster than the driving-roller and its presser-roller takes up the fabric thereby preventing any tension due to the pull on the fabric from being exerted in the fabric where it passes the measuring-roller, a marking lever for marking the fabric at the point where it is to be cut off, and means associated with the presser-roller frame to actuate the same when the marking means is actuated, and means for latching the presser-roller frame in a position to hold the resser-rollers away from their corresponding rollers.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand- JOHN L. WVHEELER. 

